Election 2014: Political stalwarts heat up poll scene

Published on March 30, 2014 4:51 pm

Mounting an attack on the BJP, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi said the Opposition party "talks big" and believes in the "politics of hate." Congress has strengthened the country's 'Ganga-Jamuna' culture but the BJP is all out to weaken the country, she said addressing an election rally in Lakhimpur town. "The opposition, particularly the BJP, are going round the country indulging in big talk but what did their government do when they were in power at the Centre? There is a big difference between talking and working", Gandhi said. (PTI)

"We have fulfilled almost all promises made in the 2009 manifesto. We will do the same with the 2014 manifesto and we need your support for this," she said. (PTI)

"We do not make false promises. What we promise, we deliver. The Congress believes in 'Har Haath Shakti, Har Haath Tarakki (Each hand is power, each hand is progress", Gandhi said. (PTI)

Congress workers in Assam and other places have been sacrificing their lives for the country before independence and even after the country became free, it is they who are engaged in nation-building. "Where was the BJP and others then? There was no sign of the opposition either before or after independence. They are just engaged in division of the country, she charged. (PTI)

"The Congress has strengthened the country's Ganga- Jamuna culture but the BJP instead of strengthening it, is all out to weaken the country," Gandhi said. She urged the people not to be swayed by the "false promises of the opposition but be guided by their own good sense and take a decision to support the Congress and vote for their candidates." (PTI)

Targeting Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar in the farmers' suicide belt of Amravati, Narendra Modi today said the Agriculture Minister has time to talk on cricket but has been "unable to save" farmers. He said Pawar has done little to save the farmers in the belt, which has seen a spate of suicides by farmers, and asked the voters to free India and Maharashtra of NCP. (PTI)

"The Agriculture Minister is from here, yet he is unable to save farmers. He has time to talk on cricket but not for dying farmers. Let us have a NCP free India and Maharashtra," he said addressing an election rally here. Flaying the local body tax, he said, "LBT is nothing but Looto Baato Tax. This tax is ruining the farmers of Maharashtra." (PTI)

Taking on the Congress, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate said, "In 1857, the call was to free India from British and in 2014 the call is to free India from Congress". "Be it unemployment or farmers, they are just not bothered. Sadly, these people in Congress do not know what poverty is," he charged. (PTI)

Once again referring to Rahul Gandhi as 'shahzada', he said, "Does the shahzada know the pain of sleeping without shelter on cold nights." Pointing to the "CWG and Adarsh scams", he said, "They have looted the country at will. Where will they be after May 16?" May 16 is the counting day and BJP is hopeful of coming back to power after 10 years. (PTI)

Referring to the late Shiv Sena chief, Modi said, "Balasaheb Thackeray stays on in our hearts. Lets fulfil his dream of Congress Mukt Maharashtra and India." Taking a dig at the Congress-led UPA, he said, "Usually there are coalitions to defeat the incumbent government but this is first election where everyone is coming together to stop Modi. They want to do everything to ensure that Modi does not come to power." (PTI)